How Often Should I Deep Condition My Natural Hair?
Why Do We Need to Deep Condition Our Hair?
Deep conditioning helps us to revive and rebalance our hair. People with curly textured hair have a more difficult time retaining moisture, mainly because oils have a tough time traveling from our roots to the tips to seal in moisture.
As a result, we have to work a little bit harder than those with straighter hair to generate and retain moisture.
Naturals will swear by their deep conditioning rituals because it is one of the key components for delivering hydration to our hair.
Think of it as a reviving hair treatment process that infuses moisture into our hair, softening it, strengthening it and making our hair more manageable.
The practice of deep conditioning is a protective process. It is one of the few opportunities you have to repair hair that is suffering from damage or dryness.
There are thousands of deep conditioning products on the market capable of producing fantastic results, but many naturals elect to make their own deep conditioning hair treatments and can achieve the same results as you might with a manufacturer’s product.
Whether you deep condition after every other wash or once a week, your goal must be one that creates consistency in your hair care regimen.
Deep Conditioner Frequency
Back to our original question…how often should you deep condition?
The current state of your natural hair, will determine the frequency in which you should deep condition your hair.
If you are battling the side effects of hair that is overly dry, you should deep condition often. Some naturals enjoy the use of a good hair mask or deep conditioner in their hair two to three times per week for 20 to 30 minutes.
Others, who have a healthy balance of moisture may elect to only use a deep conditioner once or twice a month for those who like to indulge in the wear of protective styles, deep conditioners are an excellent way to reintroduce moisture to hair that has been tucked away for several weeks in twists or braids.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Your hair defines the ritual in this instance, and it may demand that you do it weekly or less frequently.
Should You Sleep with a Deep Conditioner in Your Natural Hair to Restore Moisture?
Opinions are split among the natural hair community as to whether or not it is a best practice to sleep in your conditioner.
Several naturals warn against this practice because it poses some risk to the structure and porosity of your hair. It can cause hair to be weak and easily break.
Others insist that you cannot do any damage to your hair by sleeping in a conditioner overnight and that their hair is exceptionally soft and rich with moisture following the event.
Once again, your best option is to do what works best for your hair.
Co-Washing vs Deep Conditioning
Co-washing is the practice of using a cleansing conditioner to cleanse your hair.
There are some staunch followers of this tradition who would also advocate for deep conditioning in addition to co-washing, and there are others who state that during the weeks they co-wash, they do not deep condition.
Should you choose to deep condition and co-wash your hair during the same week, you will want to monitor for overly soft, or mushy hair and shedding. Remember too much of a “good thing” is never a good thing.
Recommended Deep Conditioners
Not every deep conditioner is created equal, but we have a few recommendations from the curl community that you won’t hurt your pocket:
For more raw ingredients to DIY your deep conditioner feel free to try these out:
Aloe or Your local grocery store.
Remember, your hair will dictate your natural hair care regimen.
Do not feel pressured to fall in line with the natural hair community. Pay attention to how your hair responds to your deep conditioning regimen and which products work best for your hair for best results. Keep a Curl Journal to track your progress to achieve your goals!
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